Monday, April 23, 2012

Who Will Be Mitt Romney's Running Mate?

People have been speculating on who Mitt Romney will pick to have as his running mate and future Vice President. Romney has so far hasn't said much about who he will pick, but in an interview with National Review, he's said that he hasn't made a list yet but that he's in the process of making one. that he's looking for someone who can also lead the nation if necessary:

NRO: Let’s begin with your process of selecting your running mate. As you’ve interacted with elected officials throughout this primary season, have you thought about any of them as potential running mates and whether you would trust that person to be a heartbeat away from the presidency?

Mitt Romney: [Laughter.] I’m not going to give you any names!

NRO: You don’t have to give names. Just . . . has anybody piqued your interest?

Romney: There are a lot of terrific people in our party, as I’m sure you know. We will begin to put together a list of folks to do a deep-dive vetting. That’s something which Beth Myers, my former chief of staff and former campaign manager, is guiding. I’ve been very impressed with a lot of folks I’ve worked with, and I’m impressed with others that have not been in battleground states, but who nonetheless are key leaders in our party. At this point, it is a wide-open process.

NRO: Is there one trait or quality that you think is particularly important for a running mate and vice president?

Romney: The vice president has to be someone who would be seen as having the capability to become president and lead the country if that were to become necessary. That is, without question, the most important quality that you consider.

Romney has already selected campaign advisor Beth Meyers to assist him in making his selection. Here a list of possible running mates that Beth Meyers might be looking at:

Many candidates have either stated that they will or will not be Mitt Romney's running mate. Marco Rubio has consistently stated that he will not be Romney's Vice President. Many people have recommended Marco Rubio to be Mitt's VP like Jeb Bush. However, Marco Rubio said that Jeb Bush would make a good running mate for Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush said he would be Mitt's VP if asked.

Bobby Jindal has also stated that he's not interested in being Mitt's running mate because he likes being the governor of Louisiana. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has given conflicting answers in which he has said he wouldn't mind being Romney's VP but has said at other times that he wouldn't be his running mate.

South Carolina Govenor Nikki Haley has said she would not be Mitt Romney's running mate and suggested that Allen West would make a great pick and then backtracked on that recommendation. Other people such as Sarah Palin and Herman Cain have also endorsed Allen West. Allen West has stated that he would accept the invitation to be Mitt Romney's VP if asked.

Many people have talked about Virginia Govenor Bob McDonnell as being Mitt Romney's Vice President. Although, Governor McDonnell has down played talk of him being selected as Romney's running mate.

Paul Ryan has been widely discussed as Mitt's VP. Although people know Paul Ryan for his mastery of economic issues, he's equally powerful when it comes to foreign policy. Paul Ryan hasn't publicly denied a hypothetical offer from Mitt Romney but he's remained mostly quiet on the subject of being Romney's VP other than to say that the discussion hasn't been brought up by Mitt Romney and that he would think about it when the offer actually is presented to him.

There are a lot of good people on the list and most of them would be a great running mate for Mitt Romney. Personally, my list of who I would pick for Mitt's running mate would be quite short. I personally like Paul Ryan, John Kasich, Rob Portman, Nikki Haley, Bob McDonnell, Allen West and Condoleezza Rice. There are others who I know will not make a good running mate for Mitt Romney and as a result, they are probably not on Mitt's short list. Those people are Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, and Mitch Daniel.

Who ever Mitt Romney picks, the vetting process will be much more intense than in the past due to the shoddy vetting process the McCain team did with Sarah Palin. However, I am confident that Mitt Romney will make the right choice. It will be someone who will be just as equally competent in leading the country as Mitt Romney is, who will work well with the President and with Congress in passing the necessary laws, who can help Mitt win the necessary votes needed to win the election and who can go one on one with Biden in a debate.

I am excited for Mitt Romney's running mate and I can't wait for Mitt to make his announcement. I suspect that Mitt Romney will make his announcement shortly before the Republican convention in Florida. Whoever Mitt picks, it will be a good choice for America.

I am excited for Mitt Romney's running mate and I can't wait for Mitt to make his announcement. I suspect that Mitt Romney will make his announcement shortly before the Republican convention in Florida. Whoever Mitt picks, it will be a good choice for America.

Typical sycophant, mushy commentary. You have NO OPINION? Good Lord, we're in trouble.

Let's remember some fact about the Palin selection. One she instantly doubled the fundraising of the McCain campaign which desperately needed a boost. She energized the grassroots to campaign and get out the vote for McCain. The crowds who attended her events dwarfed McCain's and of course Biden's. She did quite well in the one debate and exceeded expecations. Her selection gave McCain his first and only lead in the polls.

If Romney's pick results in any of those positives it will have been a good pick

Palin was unmercifully skewered. It was shameful. If the GOP had done anything like that to a Democrat/woman VP, we would have been strung up (and rightfully so).

Not that I have been following it too much, but what I've heard from Palin (in the latter half of the primaries) has not helped the GOP.

It's time for us all to put aside hard feelings and join ranks. This does not mean that you have to agree with Romney 100%, but we risk losing to Obama if we don't stop attacking each other. For God's sake, don't let that happen!

We're not talking about then, the portrait presented in Game Changewas debunked three years or more,then again they were in the samecharacter as the shameful attackson Gingrich, that Elliot Abramslent his voice too, as well the accepting Brokaw's distorted presentations re the Ethics complaint.

I remember watching all the cable news stations the day of the announcement last time around and the stunned faces everywhere when the choice was announced. I for one knew we lost the general election right there. There was no way we were going to win with that ticket, starting with the nominee himself. Prior to the announcement the overwhelming favorite to balance the ticket was Romney, but instead they opted to go rogue and that was a huge mistake. I have no desire to go that route again with this choice. My choices are Christie or Ryan as posted previously.

"Once the campaign narrowed the list to five names, the process became much more intensive. The people on the short list--Lieberman, Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Florida governor Charlie Crist--had personal interviews with Culvahouse and responded to 74 written questions, which he had formulated." And from the list they picked Palin as the best? This dude needs to lose his law license. ANY would have been far better than Palin. FAR BETTER.

1) The amount and/or quality of the vetting of Palin by McCain really has little to do with it. They were taking an obscure Governor from a back-water state like Alaska and were thrusting her into the meatgrinder of a presidential campaign when she had zero experience on the national stage. No amount of vetting would have clued in McCain on well Sarah might do in a Presidential campaign.

Choosing Palin was a calculated risk by McCain. Was it a mistake? It depends upon whom you talk to. It certainly worked out great at the beginning. It was only later that people started to really question it. Of course by that time, McCain and his campaign had pretty given up. Anyone who blames Sarah Palin for McCain's failing campaign is only looking for a convenient scapegoat.

2) Reagan chose Bush less than an hour before his name was announced at the convention. His vetting by Reagan's campaign consisted of asking him if he could support Reagan's economic policies. He said he could and would, and he got the job.

However Bush had been Reagan's #1 adversary in the primaries and so had already been fully vetted on the national stage.

3) Dan Quayle was by nearly every metric just as much of a lightweight as Sarah Palin was, but Bush was elected, McCain was not. This supports the idea that it was McCain who lost the election, not Sarah Palin.

I also remember the day back in the previous election cycle when Fox News interviewed Dick Morris and he stated the best choice for McCain would be a woman. He was very forceful in his talking points and I recall everyone agreeing with him. He kept saying it would be a bold move for McCain, but I for one knew there was no credible choice at the time who was a woman. So needless to state, it blew my mind when McCain followed his advice and chose a woman. Obviously she wasn't the right choice in the end, but you sometimes have to go with the ticket you are handed as I was definitely no going to vote for the anointed one under any circumstances.

McCain wouldn't have won no matter who his VP pick was, Romney included. Obama had too much momentum with his hope and change spiel. We had to have an Obama before we could get a Romney. Romney will win this time around. - Moi

.... it was the handling of her by the so-called Republican Establishment advisors and genius political consultants that was shitty.

They royally screwed that up, not having a briefing folder on her for the media for two weeks, during which the liberal, left leaning media created their own biased imagery.

How about talking about those Republican stars like Nicolle Wallace and Steve Schmidt who ended up being a disaster and then turning around and trashing Sarah Palin to cover their own behinds.

Sarah Palin was more than qualified to be the V/P pick and McCain would have lost by a lot more if she had not been there.

The so-called genius advisors are the culprits... Nicole even set Sarah up with Katie Couric as a favor because Katie was herfriend.... before Sarah could be briefed thoroughly.

What a bunch of dolts... by the way, a lot of the McCain advisors and consultants were Romney people.... gee, could they have tried to sabotage Sarah since she was picked rather than Mitt as V/P choice?

Sarah Palin has been the best thing for the Republican Party for a long time... so screw off with the negative shots at one of the most admired Conservatives in America.... jerk... Romney butt kisser.